Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do
they like please?

On 6/15/2014 1:37 AM, Fran Farmer wrote:
Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do
they like please?
Acidic soil, good bit of water, really nice soil. We're losing one of
the four we planted last year, haven't found the reason for it dying yet.

We mulch our blueberries with pine needles to help the acidity and,
sometimes, add a little dusting of acidity minerals. They do like
sunshine and need lots of water when berries are growing, not enough to
drown the plant but you will catch on quickly.

Our blueberries were blooming when a late frost hit us this year, no
berries. We ended up at a you-pick-em berry farm at US$3.00 a lb.

On Sun, 15 Jun 2014 16:37:58 +1000, Fran Farmer
wrote:

Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do
they like please?

*raises hand*

Sun: they need several hours daily of full sun. Morning sun suits our
plants nicely since they are lightly shaded in the hot afternoon.

Soil & watering: they like well-drained acid soil (PH between 4.5 to
5.0 is ideal). Peat moss added to the soil, unless the area is
already acidic, is good. You can add coffee grounds to some compost,
let it "cook" a few weeks, and they love it. Top dress with some good
rotted compost and pine needles and mulch heavily. They like lots of
organic material. If your soil is very sandy or heavy clay, you'll
need to amend with organic loam. Also, we've had good luck hilling
the dirt around the base. Ours are raised up a bit, maybe 6 to 8
inches, from the surrounding soil. They're planted in a slanted area
so are never sitting in water. However, we don't want all water to
immediately wash downhill, so we made a shallow moat of rocks on the
downhill side to trap some water, letting the excess run off.
Blueberries don't like "wet feet" at all. They're shallow rooted so
they like frequent deep watering by hose if the rains don't cooperate.

On Sunday, June 15, 2014 2:37:58 AM UTC-4, Fran Farmer wrote:
Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do

they like please?

I've got about 700 plants including 2 species and 11 different varieties. Blueberries are very shallow rooted and thus require lots of water. a heavy mulch really helps with water retention. Blueberries require acid soil (pH 4.5-5.2) in order to metabolize the nutrients the require. Plants often survive in higher pH conditions, but they don't flourish.

I'm in USDA zone 7a at about 2000 feet above sea level. In this area the rabbiteye types (V. asheii) far out perform other species. I also have highbush (V. corymbosum). They are earlier and perhaps a bit better flavored, but don't produce nearly as well.

There are more than 40 species wild in N. America. The 2 mentioned above are the most common commercially grown. There is a cross between the 2 called Southern highbush that is commercially grown in pine bark medium in the most southerly areas of the blueberry range (mid Florida).

There is lots of information online. Look at state university websites (NC, VA, GA, OR) for information. NC State U has a very good one.

Hope this helps,
Steve

In article ,
Fran Farmer wrote:

Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do
they like please?

Seriously acid, good sun, don't feed too heavily (they burn easily from
overly fresh compost, fertilizer, etc.)

In the 43-45N latitude belt and northeast portion of the US, anyway, the
major truly natural habitat is up above treeline on mountains, where
they are essentially growing in little pockets of soil formed in largely
exposed rocks, and have no shading from trees. They are also found under
acid-loving trees (pine, oak etc.), but rarely fruit there unless one
comes down and makes a hole for some sun to get on them, or a forest
fire takes many trees out.

The commercial barrens are more of a lowland/boggy environment, again
with few trees (thus, "barrens") and have been managed (primarily with
fire) for several thousand years.

I keep mine mulched with pine needles, and occasionally toss some sulfur
on there to help maintain the low pH. You may need to give them a bit
more water than your tarragon to keep them happy if your area is as dry
as I think it is from your postings.

--
Cats, coffee, chocolate...vices to live by
Please don't feed the trolls. Killfile and ignore them so they will go away.

Thank you one and all for your responses. I might have got some of my
planting right. In about mid summer, I began by planting in an area
where we removed 8 huge old pine trees a couple of years ago. The
unplanted remainder live in the nursery for potted plants that are
waiting to be planted.

It's well drained where I planted then and they get full sun until later
afternoon as it's in the highest corner of my veg area and I've actually
managed to be better at watering the ones I have planted by putting a
sprinkler on them once a week. I'll check out the Uni web sites and
bookmark them until growth starts here again come Spring.

Thanks again.

On 16/06/2014 2:43 AM, Steve Peek wrote:
On Sunday, June 15, 2014 2:37:58 AM UTC-4, Fran Farmer wrote:
Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do

they like please?

I've got about 700 plants including 2 species and 11 different varieties.

I assume that is a commercial planting?

(snip)
There is lots of information online. Look at state university websites (NC, VA, GA, OR) for information. NC State U has a very good one.

I'm feeling quite proud of myself as I managed to figure out what all of
those abbreviations for those States meant as I did my googling. That
may not seem much to you but it's an achievement for a furriner.

And those Unis have lots of great information! Thank you - printed out
and about to be put in my garden folder.

Hope this helps,

It did, thank you Steve - good reading for me for this overcast, cold,
winter's day by my fire.

On Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:40:06 +1000, Fran Farmer
wrote:


Thank you one and all for your responses. I might have got some of my
planting right. In about mid summer, I began by planting in an area
where we removed 8 huge old pine trees a couple of years ago. The
unplanted remainder live in the nursery for potted plants that are
waiting to be planted.

It's well drained where I planted then and they get full sun until later
afternoon as it's in the highest corner of my veg area and I've actually
managed to be better at watering the ones I have planted by putting a
sprinkler on them once a week. I'll check out the Uni web sites and
bookmark them until growth starts here again come Spring.

That sounds like an ideal site, Fran. Ya done good. How many
blueberry bushes do you have in all?

Thanks again.

Good luck! You'll have more blueberries than you know what to do with
in no time at all. I was amazed at how quickly our bushes bounced
back from being transplanted. Yours will too, I'm sure.

On Sunday, June 15, 2014 9:59:57 PM UTC-4, Fran Farmer wrote:
On 16/06/2014 2:43 AM, Steve Peek wrote:

On Sunday, June 15, 2014 2:37:58 AM UTC-4, Fran Farmer wrote:

Does anyone here grow blueberries? If so, what sort of conditions do



they like please?



I've got about 700 plants including 2 species and 11 different varieties.



I assume that is a commercial planting?



(snip)

There is lots of information online. Look at state university websites (NC, VA, GA, OR) for information. NC State U has a very good one.



I'm feeling quite proud of myself as I managed to figure out what all of

those abbreviations for those States meant as I did my googling. That

may not seem much to you but it's an achievement for a furriner.



And those Unis have lots of great information! Thank you - printed out

and about to be put in my garden folder.



Hope this helps,



It did, thank you Steve - good reading for me for this overcast, cold,

winter's day by my fire.

Yep, it's semi-commercial, a little retirement income ya know.

Sorry, we usasians tend to think everyone understands our abbreviations. There are other state websites as well. I only mentioned the ones I have used as a resource. I'm in mountainous Western North Carolina, so the best bet for me was NC State. I worked directly with the states' blueberry guru from the soil test through the planting. I've found him and others there to be extremely helpful. The best bit of advise for getting started was "... if you can't irrigate as needed for the first couple of years, don't even try....". In my experience a blueberry plant that wilts is a dead blueberry plant..

Best of luck and if I can help let me know,
Steve